Tag Archives: stress relief

Coloring Books Aren’t Just for Kids

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Think back to when you were a child. Did you spend time happily coloring the pictures that were in your coloring books? Today, many adults are rediscovering their love for coloring. There are several different types of detailed coloring books out there which are intended for grownups to use. Coloring is fun. It’s something that people first learn how to do when they are in preschool or kindergarten. Little kids can improve their fine motor skills by grasping a crayon and using it to color a picture. They find it rewarding to color a picture all by themselves and are … Continue reading →

Ways to Avoid Stress: Lifestyle Changes

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Making changes to your lifestyle can help lower your stress level. Starting with basic good health is a good idea. If your body is in good condition to begin with, it may be able to cope with stress better — or in a more healthy way. Eat a balanced diet — fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to fight stress and other health issues. Get moderate exercise at least three times per week — the more the better. Get enough sleep — your body recovers from the day’s stress while you sleep. Balance work, family needs, personal needs, … Continue reading →

Ways to Avoid Stress: Time Management

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Some stresses are unavoidable; others can be reduced or avoided entirely! Here are some tips to help manage and/or avoid stress. Good time management can be a great way to avoid stress — you’ll get more time with family and friends, increase work performance and productivity, and have free time to relax and do the things you love. Keep records of how you spend your time — look at how much time you’re spending on work, family, and other things. Prioritize your time — rate tasks by importance and urgency. Focus on the things that are most important; other things … Continue reading →

Lower Stress, Lower Cholesterol

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Stress has a lot of different effects on the body. It can affect sleep patterns, eating habits, and your immune system — so there are a lot of good reasons to lower your stress levels. Here’s one more: the better you cope with stress, the better your levels of good (HDL) cholesterol will be. Recent research from Oregon State University took another look at how stress and hostility affect cholesterol. More than seven hundred men participated in a Normative Aging Study from OSU. The average age of the participants was sixty-five; they were evenly split between white-collar and blue-collar professions. … Continue reading →

Laugh at Stress

Studies have shown that laughter is a GREAT way to deal with stress. In the short term: Laughter enhances your oxygen intake. That in turn stimulates your heart, your lungs, and your muscles. Laughter makes your brain release endorphins — happy chemicals. Laughter can ease digestion problems. Laughter can stimulate blood circulation, which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress. Laughter also activates — and then cools down — your body’s stress response. It can rev up your heartbeat and boost your blood pressure, leaving you feeling more relaxed as things calm down again. In the long … Continue reading →

Herbal Stress Soothers

Thanks to both internal (PMS) and external factors, I’ve been feeling pretty stressed lately. When I found myself snapping at friends, family, and coworkers, I decided it was time to stop and do some damage control. First, I made a plan. I wanted some physical activity to help blow off steam and I wanted something to help me relax when I was done. For the physical side, I decided to clean the apartment. I’d have the added bonus of a fresh, clean home when I was done — and the chance to work some stress out of my system. For … Continue reading →

How Pets Relieve Stress

I had a discouraging morning at work today. By the time I got home, I was sad and cranky and in a generally bad mood. And then I opened the door. My German shepherd mix, Moose, came waddling up and jammed his nose into my hand. My boxer mix, Lally, came bounding up with her squeaky ball in her mouth and her tail wagging. And I just had to smile. Pets have an amazing ability to relieve stress. It’s hard to keep feeling bad when you have a barking, licking, wiggling, warm fuzzy bundle of joy around. It’s hard to … Continue reading →

Stress and Women

A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that more than eighty percent of women experience physical symptoms of stress like fatigue and headaches on a regular basis. Are you one of them? The thing is, most women think they’re managing their stress well. In the survey from the American Psychological Association, eighty-one percent of women said they were managing their stress “extremely well” or “somewhat well”. Despite that, eighty-one percent of women complained of physical symptoms of stress. How do you know if you’re stressed? Physical symptoms like headache, fatigue, and muscle tension. Impaired ability to focus or … Continue reading →

Cut Cholesterol With Your Mind

More proof that mind really is stronger than matter: a recent study from Oregon State University found that keeping your cool can keep your cholesterol at a healthy level. More than seven hundred men took part in a study from Oregon State University focusing on staying calm in stressful situations. Those men who managed to stay calm when provoked kept their HDL (good) cholesterol levels steady. Some even experienced an elevation in HDL cholesterol levels! You definitely want to keep good cholesterol around. Men in the study who didn’t stay calm had lower HDL levels and higher triglycerides. Neither group … Continue reading →

Try Active Relaxation At Work

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Active relaxation — is it possible to have one with the other? Try these gentle exercises to help beat stress and increase flexibility. If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk or in front of a computer, these stretches are for you! Wrist stretches. The dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injury are big fears for folks who spend a lot of time at the keyboard. Give your hands and wrists a break with a quick prayer stretch: place your palms together, fingers straight and push. All you need is a … Continue reading →